FORMER Chancellor of the Exchequer, Nadhim Zahawi, has come under fire after sharing a photo of a rough sleeper in a swanky area of London.
The former Tory Chairman snapped the photo of the poor man sprawled out on a pavement in London’s Mayfair area yesterday.
With the man sleeping rough in what is regarded as one of the capital city’s most well-off areas, Zahawi claimed to have taken the photo simply to point out where the “tragic human” was.
However, the 57-year-old’s bizarre caption for the snap read otherwise, with Brits online slamming him, and claiming that the dad-of-three was “only outraged because it’s Mayfair”.
The heartbreaking image shows a man sleeping in the middle of the pavement next to a row of extremely expensive properties.
Only the rough sleeper’s shoes can be seen poking out from under his blanket.
Huddled under a duvet to keep warm, the homeless person covers their upper body and head with the blanket, leaving their feet exposed to the elements.
Zahawi, who has a property portfolio estimated to be worth £30-100m, has since received severe backlash for what he claims was a well-intended photo.
The thought of a millionaire photographing a rough sleeper and sharing the image to social media didn’t sit well with some Brits who quickly told Zahawi exactly what they thought of him.
Zahawi shared the image of the rough sleeper in Mayfair to social media yesterday with the caption: “This is now in Mayfair, just walked passed (sic). What is going on ?Mayor of London,? this can’t be right.”
The post received over 4,400 likes and more than 8,400 comments from raging social media users furious at the former chancellor.
One user commented sarcastically: “Very glad you helped him, rather than just taking a photo without permission, walking ‘passed’, and declaring it’s someone else’s problem.
“People like you are the glue of our society.”
Another wrote: “You know, this almost reads like you’re more annoyed that they’re on the pavement of Mayfair rather than them being homeless.
“I hope I’m being cynical here. However, with your millions you could help them instead of taking a photo and complaining to the mayor.”
A third said: “I love you point out the symptoms and fail to see the cause. Tell me Nadhim. After 14 years of Government. Do you own a mirror?”
Another replied: “A disgraced multi-millionaire tax thief getting upset at the indignity of having to see a poor person within his Mayfair bubble.
“You are the one who isn’t right. You are everything wrong with this country.”
A fifth added: “This is happening everywhere, are you only outraged because it’s Mayfair? Come and look at your former constituency.”
